Crystal Guardian

9

Down they soared until they reached the ground surprisingly softly. The wild Ripto shook her huge mane in frustration and they all detached themselves from her windswept fur. She rose up onto her hind legs and bellowed at them, glad that they were no longer burdening her flight. She glared at Aldric as if to warn him before she turned, erupted into the sky and disappeared over the mountains.

'What did you do back there?' Evie asked Raiden. 'What did you say? I'd never heard that language before.'

'What do you mean?' He replied, 'I didn't do anything.'

Evie continued to interrogate as they made their way into the ice city but gave up. Raiden wasn't backing down. It wasn't until she noticed black beads of water trickling down the back of his neck that she spoke again.

'Your hair,' she said.

'What about it?' he replied defensively. He ran a hand through it and Aldric could see that his hand was covered in an inky black whilst a red streak was becoming revealed in his hair. 'It's nothing,' he said, wiping the dye off his hand.

'Why do you want to hide that? It's beautiful,' she added, pointing her finger to the messy streak, damp with snow.

Aldric had never been to see Cozmo and Selwyn in their own home but they had often visited K and Travors, mainly during the holiday seasons. K did not lead them to a house like Aldric had expected but instead she led them into a tavern. The ice of which it was made was frosted over. Faint blurs of the slow movement within could be seen from the outside as if they were looking through a mirror inside a dream. The door slid open and the four of them slipped into the small room. The air was clean and cool, tainted with a faint smoky smell, but even the smokiness smelt clean and fresh.

K went up to the bar and leant over it, the ice dampening her cuffs. The young man behind the bar noticed her and greeted her with enthusiasm.

'My dear,' he smiled, his dark brown hair wisped into the air as he flew across the bar. 'What brings you all this way?'

'We've escaped, Tamas,' she replied. 'Jagophites have attacked Atarikka, just the Gliendale region at the moment, but it could get worse. Dad sent me here.'

'He wants you safe,' Tamas nodded, flinging a white cloth over his shoulder. 'How could something like this happen?'

'I need to see Cozmo and Selwyn,'

'Of course you do,' he replied, scampering away hastily. 'I'll get them for you. Always here they are. They never give me, not one moment of peace.'

He had only been gone a few seconds before two familiar faces appeared. Selwyn was the first to appear at the bar. His solemn face was shadowed, his flat blonde hair tousled and his eyes dark and sunken into his head. He was followed by his younger brother Cozmo who shared the same oval face and dark eyes, though his own blonde hair was longer and more matted. He showed off plenty of stubble on top of his pale complexion whereas Selwyn was clean shaven, his sharp white bones defined by his stretched skin.

Cozmo pulled up a silver stool, Selwyn perched upon the bar. After everything had been explained to them, neither could find appropriate words.

'It could be worse,' said Selwyn, breaking the silence. K and Aldric looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

'Well, you're all here now,' added Cozmo, swivelling around on his seat to face each of them, one by one. He paused when his eyes reached Raiden and Evie who had been lingering behind K and Aldric. The corners of his eyes jerked.